The 79th Miss Arkansas Scholarship Pageant kicked off at the Hot Springs Convention Center on Sunday with the arrival of the contestants.
Each contestant was announced on stage and then walked down a red carpet leading to the exit of Horner Hall at the convention center. Following the opening ceremony, the contestants posed on the main staircase in the Grand Lobby for a photograph with Miss Arkansas 2015 Loren McDaniel.
With the country celebrating Independence Day today, Sunday's arrival ceremony was followed by special a patriotic moment. The contestants, wearing red, white and blue, posed for a photograph in front of the statue of late U.S. Navy SEAL Adam Brown near the Garland County Veterans Memorial and Military Park, located a short distance from the convention center. Brown was killed in action in the Kunar province of Afghanistan on March 17, 2010.
This year's pageant features 42 contestants from across Arkansas. The new Miss Arkansas will be crowned Saturday night at the center.
"I'm very excited for them this week because it's a lot of time for growth and a lot of time for figuring out who you are as an individual," McDaniel said of this year's contestants.
The contestants are split up into three groups with whom they will be participating in interviews and preliminary competition. During the interviews, they will dress in business attire and answer questions from a panel of five distinguished judges. The interviews will begin at 6:30 p.m. today and will last until Tuesday evening.
Preliminary competition will then be held from Wednesday until Friday. During this part of the weeklong contest, depending on which group she has been placed in, the contestant will either perform in talent, swimsuit or evening wear with an onstage question. McDaniel attested to the preliminary competition as one of the most exciting times of the pageant for the contestants.
"When they come out on stage Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, that's the audience's chance to see what they've been preparing for us," she said.
The final day of the pageant will be Saturday, which will consist of an autograph party by the contestants at Hot Springs Mall from noon to 2 p.m., which will be followed by the official crowning of Miss Arkansas 2016. McDaniel said that she is excited to pass her title on.
"Although it's bittersweet to be giving up the title of Miss Arkansas, it's so exciting because someone is about to embark on the best journey in the state," she said. "This is the best job for any young woman that wants to pursue her dreams and to exude everything that confidence speaks on."
This year's pageant winner enjoys a year of both serving as a state hostess and speaking publicly for an altruistic platform of her choice. Samantha Hudon, Miss Greater Hot Springs 2012 and a contestant in this year's pageant, said that this is one of the great things about the organization.
"She goes to schools, civic organizations and different communities throughout the state to try to make an impact with her personal platform," Hudon said of Miss Arkansas. "That's something that's so great about our organization."
The contestants expressed enjoyment about participating in this year's pageant. Kenzie Williams, of Benton, said that being part of the organization affords her and her fellow contestants a wide range of positive opportunities.
"It's a lot of fun to be part of this organization," Williams said. "You get a lot of opportunities to experience sisterhood, get scholarships, serve your community and be a role model to younger girls."
Local on 07/04/2016